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A HAPPY OCCASION – Two students from the Ross River School are flanked by, from left to right: Yukon MP Larry Bagnell, Community Services Minister John Streicker, school instructor Lois Loewen, and Ross River Dena Council Chief Jack Caesar during Friday’s reopening of the suspension bridge in Ross River. Photos courtesy GOVERNMENT OF YUKON

Photo by Photo Submitted

LINK RE-ESTABLISHED – A bridge once again connects the main Ross River village site to the opposite side of the Pelly River. Photos courtesy GOVERNMENT OF YUKON

Historic bridge reopens after a $3-million investment

The suspension bridge in Ross River was reopened Friday after five years of being out of commission.

The suspension bridge in Ross River was reopened Friday after five years of being out of commission.

Community Services Minister John Streicker was joined by Ross River Dena Council Chief Jack Caesar at a celebration of the reopening, along with Yukon MP Larry Bagnell.

“The bridge was deteriorating; it was just aging out,” Streicker told the Star Friday afternoon.

Noting that it had originally been built to support the Second World War-era Canol pipeline, he said that it eventually came to be used by pedestrians after its lifespan. It connects the village site to the North Canol Road.

Streicker added that preserving the fixture may have been nice, it just wasn’t doable.

“You couldn’t just salvage it; you had to replace the thing,” he said, adding, “so that was a hard choice for us.”

While some of the original structure may still be in place, it was more of a “replication of the design,” he said.

“So I wouldn’t call this a heritage project,” the minister added.

The repairs were paid for by the federal and territorial governments.

A release on the reopening noted that most of the money, more than $3 million, came from Ottawa, while Yukon put up more than $1 million for the 319-metre-long-bridge.

The funds were put toward installations of anchors, decking, chain link fencing and cables, among other things.

Stabilizing the bridge’s two towers was also a concern, especially because it rested over the 530-kilometre-long Pelly River.

That made up phase one of the repairs, and came with a $1.5-million pricetag.

The second phase included the design and other repairs, and cost $4.3 million.

Built in the 1940s to allow access to hunting grounds and camps on the other side of Pelly, the bridge grew problematic in 2013 when it was declared too dangerous to use.

Cabling was put in to prevent the bridge from moving and swaying as much, which improved the “beefiness” of the bridge, added Streicker.

“Old decking was two-inch thick material; this is three-inch thick material,” he said.

Bagnell likened it to a “rehabilitated suspension bridge” in the release, which would in turn “improve the quality of life of residents.”

Some of those residents rallied at a protest in 2014 calling on the government to save the historic bridge.

Streicker added he was happy to see the 75-year-old site link back after years of work.

“It connected the community from one side to the other physically, but also from the history to the future,” he said, noting the relationship between elders and kids is especially significant in some cultures.

The bridge is also the only thing that allows access between the two areas during freeze-up.

The release noted that all work was completed early last month.

“We are very pleased to celebrate the reopening of the suspension bridge,” said Caesar.

“We thank the governments of Canada and Yukon for their funding to complete these long-awaited infrastructure repairs.”

Guncache on Jun 13, 2018 at 9:51 am

YukonMax on Jun 13, 2018 at 7:52 am

Five(5) years ago? on Jun 13, 2018 at 5:49 am

Who started on this project and where did they get with it before it became project burn-out and the left abandoned like so much else for the Liberals to clean up from the previous failed administration?

Stu Panton on Jun 12, 2018 at 7:06 pm

alex on Jun 12, 2018 at 4:20 pm

From the article:
"That made up phase one of the repairs, and came with a $1.5-million pricetag.
The second phase included the design and other repairs, and cost $4.3 million."

So... government spent 5.8 million dollars on an old pipeline support, instead of umm, i don't know.. how about the sinking Ross River school, or the fantastic duplexes that never got built but taxpayers got billed. Yeah real solid money management.

Josey Wales on Jun 12, 2018 at 9:59 am

Historical they say, indeed it is.
Funny that though, should it not be viewed as a colonial leftover, refuse even? It was built to run oil, endangering every trapline, potentially drowning wildlife with a burst...if you believe CBC’s fruit fly specialist self righteous Suzuki.
However it seems this European reminder of history is vital...yeah seems ya cannot make this nonesense up better.
Seems a little cherry pickey given the hyperbole surrounding other historical artifacts laying about and often destroyed.
Should’ve replaced the wood with steel, it only fails when airplanes crash into it.
Speaking of other fiction passed off as history...

Bob Ablanalp on Jun 11, 2018 at 9:48 pm

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